Stevie Z Suicide launches new band and record label

The former UK Subs punk drummer turned glam singer has formed Stevie Z And The Spiders, at present a three-piece with Stevie on vocals and guitar; Geoff Hardaker, former drummer with York punks Sema4, on sticks; and Stu “Fingers” Russell on bass.

“He’s the best bass player I’ve ever been in a band with,” says Stevie.

“He’s worked with several blues band but wanted to do something different, so he’s joined us, and since our producer is Trevor Bolder, formerly the bassist in Bowie’s Spiders From Mars and now of Uriah Heep, we’ve got two great bass players involved. I could set up a football team of bassists!”

The band’s first three singles, You Better Stop, It Could Be Love and Tell Me Tonight – all Stevie’s own compositions – have been recorded and he is working on the accompanying videos this week ahead of their launch on iTunes, Napster and Amazon in two months’ time.

Plans are afoot too for festival appearances next summer, when the Spiders’ live set will find room for UK Subs’ biggest hits.

“We’ve been in touch with promoters, and already we’re booked for the Farmyard Festival, a bikers’ festival somewhere in Yorkshire, and we’ve got emails from the Isle of Wight and Glastonbury festivals, both expressing an interest in having us in their line-ups next year,” says Stevie.

“Richard Pallister, of UK Entertainment, has been talking to festival organisers on our behalf, so watch this space.”

Stevie Z And The Spiders will be issuing their music through the Spiders Web Records, a label run by the band in conjunction with Trevor Bolder and Andy Newlove, who runs a studio in East Yorkshire.

“I got sick of record companies, as well as the public, saying ‘Don’t do this’ or ‘You can’t do that’, so I decided to form my own label.

“TV talent shows are practising musical cleansing, where we’re only supposed to taste what they tell us to, but if it was down to those panel shows, you wouldn’t have Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger or Morrissey, because they’d just say, ‘No. You can’t sing’. That’s how stifling they are.”

Forming his own label gives Stevie Z – real name Steve Roberts, son of a jazz musician – the chance to keep the punk flame of freedom alight.

“This way we’re in charge of our own creativity and immune from the frightened know-it-alls who will throw a dishcloth over anything because they can’t keep their noses out of it,” he says.

“In this industry, you have to be true to yourself. That’s why I will never change my name from Suicide and won’t ever take no for an answer.”

Spiders Web Records will operate from two studios.

“We’ve built Frankenstein Studios at Hessle, and Trevor has his own state-of-the-art studio at his home just outside Hessle, so we can have bands coming there to record a track and make a video and have it released in a week,” says Stevie.

“We already have a couple of bands in mind we want to sign, and Trevor is doing his own album, which is set for release next year, and we’d like to find local bands, artists and poets to help them, without messing up their career.

“They can release an album or poetry album and if they want to move on after that, they’re free to do that. All we want to do is help great artists and bands in any type of music. Then, if they have an album out with us, they have a product that they can work with, using it to promote themselves, as they need that first step.”

Stevie and Trevor also have set up Spiders Web Productions in Hessle, a video production company run in tandem with video director Chris Adams.

“We’ve got cranes, dolly track, a steady cam, five cameras… and a hairdryer,” he says.

“It’s the same with the videos as the records. If bands make videos with us and then get them up on their website, that will help them on their way.”

Any bands, musicians or poets keen to learn more should contact Stevie via steviez@btinternet.com “Today no one wants to help anyone without there being something in it for them, but it would be a great world if we all helped each other,” he protests.